School of Medicine

Whether made by the body or ingested through diet, cholesterol plays a vital role in cells. Cholesterol also is a building block of steroids and hormones, including those that trigger puberty and support pregnancy. A new study, led by Daniel Ory, MD, implicates a surprising regulator of cholesterol in cells’ ability to make these hormones, especially in tissues associated with fertility, such as the ovaries.

Brain tumor stem cells can resist treatment and regrow tumors, but scientists have identified a vulnerability in these cells that could lead to a new approach in battling deadly brain tumors.

Contractors are to begin pouring concrete June 11 on the metal decking of the new Barnes-Jewish Hospital tower. The work may lead to some intermittent delays for the next several months on eastbound Forest Park Avenue east of Kingshighway Boulevard.

School of Medicine faculty members Robert P. Mecham, PhD, and Patrick J. Geraghty, MD, were honored earlier this spring by the Marfan Foundation.

For six consecutive nights, first-year medical student Travis CreveCoeur skipped sleep to direct and edit his class video, “First Year Funk,” a parody of Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk.” CreveCoeur thinks the sacrifice was worth it. The video has been viewed 134,000 times and counting.

James Fitzpatrick, PhD, joined the School of Medicine on June 1 as the inaugural scientific director of the Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging (WUCCI).

Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, has been appointed chief of pediatric orthopaedic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. A hand and wrist specialist, Goldfarb currently is a professor of orthopaedic surgery, co-chief of the department’s hand and wrist service and medical director of the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Orthopedic Center in Chesterfield.

Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital have opened a new pediatric medical center — the St. Louis Children’s Specialty Care Center — at Interstate 64/Highway 40 and Mason Road in west St. Louis County. The center welcomed its first patients June 2.

Construction to upgrade a Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) storm-sewer line on Duncan Avenue west of Newstead Avenue has been delayed. The project led to the closure of the north entrance to the St. Louis Children’s Hospital (SLCH) staff garage. A completion date has not been determined.

Victoria J. Fraser, MD, head of the Department of Medicine, was a featured speaker at TEDxStLouisWomen, Thursday, May 28. The presentations were part of TEDWomen, a national conference focused on women and girls as creators and change-makers. Fraser spoke about antibiotic resistance and its evolution into a public health crisis.